Now, Shimla is just 20 minutes away from Chandigarh
Each sortie, with 19 passengers on board, will offer a minimum fare of ₹2,999 per person. It will initially ply twice a week, Monday and Friday.
After starting a heli-taxi service between Shimla and Chandigarh on Monday, national helicopter carrier Pawan Hans is planning to start a similar service between Chandigarh and Manali.
“We are studying the feasibility of this route. If it is found viable, we will start it,” said Pawan Hans JGM (corporate affairs) Ram Krishan. He said that the response to their Chandigarh-Shimla flight seats is excellent, with the Friday flight already booked although tickets are available for next week.
He said that the 20-minute flight will initially ply twice a week — on Monday and Friday. The frequency will increase if demand increases. Each sortie, with 20 passengers on board, will cost ₹2,999 per person.
Air India already operates a small aircraft between Chandigarh and Kullu.
Himachal chief minister Jai Ram Thakur inaugurated the flight from Shimla, which departed at 8am and reached the Chandigarh International Airport 20 minutes later, where it was welcomed with a water salute. Himachal’s chief secretary Vineet Chawdhry handed over the boarding cards to the first passengers, Kuldeep and Ragini Gupta.
Airport director Suneel Dutt said that the service will promote tourism and improve accessibility between the two cities, adding that the initial response has been very good.
Airport spokesperson Deepesh Joshi said that Pawan Hans has opened a ticket counter at the Chandigarh airport. Passengers can also buy tickets from the official website of Pawan Hans.
